1. Field of the Invention
The present intention relates to an accessible filter for removal of debris from auto air conditioning refrigerants. The filter media is contained within a two-part body for flow-through filtration of the contaminated air conditioning refrigerants.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Auto air conditioning systems are typically manufactured without a filter for the refrigerant. When a compressor fails, debris is passed throughout the air conditioning system from the time that the compressor commences breaking down until it seizes or stops functioning. During the replacement of the compressor, a permanent suction filter is inserted in the refrigerant line hose to the compressor to collect debris and prevent it from entering the compressor. A permanent suction filter is defined as a filter unit that must be replaced in its entirety, including the housing, the filter components, connectors and the filter media. The permanent suction filters are attached by crimped barbed connectors to the refrigerant line which is rubber hose with a liner. Usually there is a large amount of debris that has collected within the air conditioning system, so that the suction filter is quickly overloaded impeding the flow of refrigerant. The filters must then be replaced by cutting out the whole filter unit and replacing it with another permanent filter unit. The refrigerant hose is now too short and must be totally replaced.
Often filter media breaks loose and passes through the refrigerant line to the compressor damaging the compressor.
Not withstanding the existence of these permanent suction filter units, there is a need for a means to replace filter material without having to remove the entire filter unit from the air conditioning refrigerant line.
The present invention relates to a filter for removing debris from auto air conditioning refrigerant, particularly after failure of a compressor which injects debris into the auto air conditioning system. The invention comprises a flow-through filter that has a two-part hollow body. The first and second part of the hollow body are sealingly and removably attachable to one another to easily gain access to the filter media that is housed within the interior space of the hollow. This allows replacement of the filter media without removal of the filter body from the refrigerant line.
The body has an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture. An attaching means is attached to the inlet aperture so that the inlet aperture may be connected in fluid flow relationship with a refrigerant line of the air conditioning system. An attaching means is also attached to the outlet aperture to enable the outlet aperture to be connected in fluid flow relationship with the same refrigerant line.
A first filter media, having a first side and a second side is removably insertable into the interior space of the body so that any refrigerant passing into the body through the inlet aperture and out the outlet aperture passes through the first filter media.
The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacturer possessing the features, properties, and the relation to elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.